1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of network management. More particularly, the invention relates to utilizing a management information base to monitor, optimize, and adjust the performance of a network.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Networks of computer systems exist all over the world to facilitate the transportation of data. Networks consist of physical network elements such as computers, communication apparatuses, terminal equipment, and communication channels interconnected in various manners. Network operations centers (NOCs) in the telecom industry all over the world use Network Management Systems (NMS) to monitor e.g. for faults, quality of service, etc. configure, and provision their communications equipment and network. An Element Management System (EMS) is similar in role to an NMS except that an EMS manages network elements of a specific type from a specific telecom equipment supplier or vendor.
An EMS is usually supplied by the vendor or supplier of the network elements with which it is compatible. EMS usually focus on a sub-network and apart from fault monitoring, their main functional focus is on configuration, provisioning and problem resolution of the specific sub-network associated with the EMS. NMS are usually placed above EMS in the management hierarchy. NMS focus mainly on the complete network with a functional focus on fault monitoring, trouble ticketing, etc.
The need for Operation Support Systems (NMS/EMS) is extremely critical to the telecommunication industry, and this need will grow as telecommunications networks expand all over the world. ITU-T, the international telecommunications standards body, defines the functional model of a NMS/EMS in their FCAPS (Faults, Configuration, Accounting, Performance and Security) standards.
Because the EMS and the NMS work in tandem to manage the network there must be a method to model the network which will represent an EMS and its corresponding sub-network to the NMS. Management Information Base (MIB) refers to how information about elements in a network are structured and modeled. MIB thus creates the most critical base on which applications like the NMS and EMS are modeled.
One unsatisfactory approach to modeling the network has been defining each set of network elements with its own proprietary MIB. This arrangement means that anytime a new EMS is to be integrated into an existing NMS the NMS must be modified to accommodate the new MIB which represents the EMS and its physical network elements. This makes the process of creating new EMS and NMS solutions very complex, time consuming, and costly to create and integrate with other systems. The same type of disadvantage is seen when a new type of network element is added to the list of network element types managed by an EMS.
Heretofore, the requirements of a generic management information base which can define any network element supplied by any vendor and which can encompass all the information and data for each of the network element types covered by the management information base referred to above have not been fully met. What is needed is a solution that simultaneously addresses all of these requirements.